Sustainable Utilization Of Water Resources Research Articles

Sustainability Assessment of Water Resources in Beijing

A sustainability assessment of water resources is essential for maintaining regional sustainable development. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of changes in the sustainability of the water resource system in Beijing from 2008 to 2018 was conducted on the basis of the driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) model. To reflect the impacts of humans on the water consumption and pollution of water resources, the water footprint was considered. In addition, key factors that affect the sustainability of water resources were filtered by the modified entropy method. The results indicated that all drivers, pressures, states, impacts, and responses demonstrated increasing tendencies. As a result, a remarkable improvement in the sustainability of the water system, which was mitigated from an alert state to a good state, was achieved due to the comprehensive effect of the indexes. From these results, we inferred that the sustainability of regional water resources could only be achieved through a comprehensive consideration of regional social, economic, and environmental water systems and climate change. Therefore, formulating medium- and long-term urban, economic, and water development plans and adjusting medium- and short-term water utilization programs could contribute to the sustainable utilization of regional water resources.

Moisture sources and climate evolution during the last 30 kyr in northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Insights from groundwater isotopes (2H, 18O, 3H and 14C) and water vapour trajectories modeling

Understanding the past hydrological cycle and climate change may contribute to the sustainable utilization of water resources. Here we combined groundwater stable isotopes (2H and 18O), age dating (3H and 14C) and water vapour transport trajectories modeling to reveal the moisture source and climate evolution over the last 30 kyr in southeastern Qaidam Basin, northeast Tibetan Plateau. The compositions of δD and δ18O indicated that the groundwater was mainly recharged by precipitation and snowmelt water from the East Kunlun Mountains in the south. The groundwater stable isotopes exhibited a depleted trend from west to east across the four catchments of the basin which seemed not to alter since the late stage of the Late Pleistocene. A combination of the deuterium excess (d-excess) of groundwater and present-day moisture source modeling revealed that the moisture source had been dominated by the Westerlies without obvious impact of the summer monsoon since the last 30 kyr. The enriched δD and δ18O of groundwater during the Holocene suggested a warmer climate than the late stage of the Late Pleistocene, which seemed not to be accompanied by moisture source variations. The results of this study could be helpful for both climate change and water resource research in this region or even, over the entire Tibetan Plateau.

Dry and wet combination dynamics and their possible driving forces in a changing environment

Previous studies on dry and wet combinations had focused on their evolution characteristics in a single season (i.e. spring or summer), while the dynamics and driving forces between the adjacent seasons remain unsolved, which is important for water resources planning and management in a changing environment. To this end, the dry and wet events in adjacent seasons in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) were evaluated based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI), and the joint return periods of various combinations of dry and wet conditions under two scenarios (moderate and severe) were calculated using a copula function. The Mann-Kendall test was used to explore the joint return period dynamics with a 31-year sliding window. The Copula-based likelihood-ratio method and cross-wavelet transform were adopted to explore the driving forces of dry and wet combination dynamics. The results indicate that (1) spring-summer and summer-autumn are prone to continuous dry (wet) events, while the probabilities of the combinations of dry and wet conditions occurring in autumn–winter and winter-spring are almost the same; (2) continuous wet events frequently occur above Longyang gorge and below Huayuankou, while the Inner flow area is prone to continuous dry events; (3) the risk of dry and wet combinations with high frequency decreases, whereas the risk of compound events with low frequency increases; (4) the dependency structure dynamics of the SPI series between adjacent seasons show the strongest correlation with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), followed by the Arctic Oscillation and sunspot activities, implying that the ENSO has a dominant control on the dry and wet combination dynamics in the YRB. This study brings new insights into dry and wet combination dynamics and driving forces in a changing environment and provides a scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of water resources in the YRB.

Towards quantification of the national water footprint in rice production of China: A first assessment from the perspectives of single-double rice

Rice is one of the most important crops in China, contributing to approximately 28% of total cereal yield. Despite substantial production, given that rice is a high water-consuming crop, the water shortage due to the irreversible decline in available water resources on a global scale induced by undergoing climate change will pose grave challenges to rice reproductive growth and related water resources utilization. As a consequence, investigating the responses of rice productivity and water consumption to more pronounced climate changes is of great significance for water resources sustainable utilization in terms of reducing irrigation water requirements and ensuring food security. Present water footprint (WF) methods do not calculate the weighted average of each WF component at the national level when evaluating the effects of prospective climate change upon rice production. The national water footprint (NWF), i.e. taking the share of each province in the total production of crops as weighting factors, has been regarded as an effective approach to determine where each WF component is originally located. In this study, the temporal change characteristics of NWF for single-rice (SR), early-rice (ER) and late-rice (LR) in different agro-ecological zones across China during 2001–2010 were assessed for the first time. The results exhibited that NWF of rice was an estimated 304,848 million cubic meters (MCM) per year. The SR accounted for the greatest portion of NWF, followed by ER and LR. The NWF rank was SR-V > SR-I > ER-VI > SR-IV > LR-III > LR-VI > SR-II > ER-III. The blue water footprint (WFb) presents decreasing trends in most agro-ecological zones (SR-I, SR-II, SR-IV, ER-III and LR-VI), while green water footprint (WFg) exhibits increasing trends within these regions. This study provides a beneficial approach for decision-making processes aiming at better agricultural water resources management strategies to alleviate water resources scarcity and reduce food risk in the context of surging demand, which will support agricultural water resources management of China towards a more balanced direction at the national level.

Assessing future socioeconomic drought events under a changing climate over the Pearl River basin in South China

Study regionPearl River basin (PRB) in South China. Study focusThis study aims to assess future socioeconomic drought events under a changing climate over the study region. Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is used to simulate the streamflow in the PRB during the period of 2020–2099, and 48 projected precipitation datasets from General Circulation Models (GCMs) are selected to drive the VIC model at 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution and daily temporal resolution. Then, the minimum in-stream water requirement (MIWR) of the PRB is determined, and trend analysis of the simulated streamflow is conducted. Socioeconomic drought index (SEDI) is used to detect the occurrence of socioeconomic drought event, and further, the impact of the reservoirs in the PRB on drought analysis is evaluated. New hydrological insights for the regionBased on any dataset, nearly one hundred socioeconomic drought events at different severity levels can be identified in the PRB; however, most of them, especially those at severe and extreme levels, can be mitigated through reservoir operation, i.e., reserving at least 40 % of the total manageable storage capacity (TMSC) in the reservoirs. Overall, this study can improve the recognition of future socioeconomic drought events, which is of great value for our society to effectively assess the impacts of climate change and water projects on sustainable water resources utilization in such river basins.

Dynamic Model of a Sustainable Water Resources Utilization System with Coupled Water Quality and Quantity in Tianjin City

With the development of industrial and agricultural production and the social economy, the demand for water resources has gradually increased. In this paper, based on the principles of system dynamics, a sustainable water resources utilization model with coupled water quality and quantity is established using STELLA software to assess the sustainable use of water resources. The model includes two modules: a water supply module and a water quality module. The water supply module includes four sub-systems: economy, population, water supply, and water demand. The water quality module consists of an environmental sub-system. The model is suitable for Tianjin, where water resources are scarce. Calibration is performed using data from 2013–2016, and verification is performed using data from 2017. The simulation results are good. In order to compare the sustainable use of water resources in different development scenarios in Tianjin for 2025, a sensitivity analysis is performed for each variable, and four decision variables are selected to establish four water resources use scenarios (Scenarios 1–4). The results show that, compared with scenario 1, water shortages in scenarios 2 and 3 are delayed. Scenario 4, with stable economic growth and environmental consideration, can effectively resolve the contradiction between water supply and demand in the future, and is more conducive to the improvement of water quality. Finally, based on the above research, measures to solve water resources problems are proposed, in order to provide a reference for the sustainable use of water resources and optimization of water resources allocation in Tianjin.

Application of geographically weighted regression models to predict spatial characteristics of nitrate contamination: Implications for an effective groundwater management strategy

Groundwater nitrate contamination has been the main water quality problem threatening the sustainable utilization of water resources in Jeju Island, South Korea. The spatially varying distribution of nitrate levels associated with complex environmental and anthropogenic factors has been a major challenge restricting improved groundwater management. In this study, we applied ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models to determine the relationships between the NO3–N concentration and various parameters (topography, hydrology and land use) across the island. A comparison between the OLS regression and GWR prediction models showed that the GWR models outperformed the OLS regression models, with a higher R2 and a lower corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) value than the OLS regression models. Interestingly, the GWR model was able to provide undiscovered information that was not revealed in the OLS regression models. For example, the GWR model found that orchards (OR) and urban (UR) variables significantly contributed to nitrate enrichment in the certain parts of the island, whereas these variables were ignored as a statistically insignificant factor in the OLS regression model. Our study highlighted that GWR models are a useful tool for investigating spatially varying relationships between groundwater quality and environmental factors; therefore, it can be applied to establish advanced groundwater management plans by reflecting the spatial heterogeneity associated with environmental and anthropogenic conditions.

Karst water resources and their complex utilization in the B\xfckk Mountains, northeast Hungary: an assessment from a regional hydrogeological perspective

The cold and thermal karst water resources of the Bükk Mountains play a significant role in the hydrogeological setting of northeastern Hungary. Although there is much geological and hydrogeological information available, the regional hydrogeology of the Bükk Mountains had not been described in a standalone study involving all this information. The drinking water supply of the city of Miskolc and some other neighboring cities is based on the cold karst water resources of the Bükk Mountains. The thermal water resources have been getting more important, in terms of balneology and geothermal energy production, in this region over the last decade. An evaluation of the measurements of a 27-year-old groundwater quantity and quality monitoring system was performed. As a result, several types of new field hydrogeology, meteorology and spring discharge measurements were added to the monitoring scheme to provide information for studying the tendencies connected to extreme weather conditions. This will help to achieve sustainable utilization of the karst water resources. The main conclusions drawn in this study underline the importance of the strict measures associated with the water management of the Bükk Mountains because of the limited natural recharge and the continuously increasing demands on the cold and thermal water resources. A success story is found in Miskolc, which demonstrates the sustainable utilization of the deep thermal karst water; Miskolc hosts the largest geothermal heating plant in Central Europe with 60 MWt capacity.

Study on Assessment Index System of Water Resources

Taking strategy of sustainable development as a guide, the paper briefly explains the connotation of sustainable utilization of water resources, and establishes assessment index system, including water resources, social development, economic growth and ecological environment, and determines assessment index criteria. The AHP is used to determine weight and the grey correlation is used to build assessment model. The assessment index system of water resources is studied in combination with socio-economic development and ecological environmental protection criteria.

A Review on Water Footprint Research of Materials Industry

The scarcity of water resource has become one of major issues that constrain economic development and urbanization process in China. The water footprint is a comprehensive indicator used to measure water consumption and pollution that is widely used in global or regional studies. The previous practices showed that water footprint analysis was an effective tool to achieve sustainable utilization of water resources by guiding the development of water-saving technology and product. This paper reviewed the progress of water footprint research in materials industry including related theory, method and application. Firstly, the basic concept of water footprint was introduced. Secondly, the current accounting and assessment methods of water footprint and their applicable fields were summarized. Thirdly, the case studies on the water footprint of metallic materials, nonmetallic materials and chemical materials were reviewed to analyze its guidance significance on the sustainable development of water resources. At last, some suggestions for future research on the water footprint of materials were proposed.

Early Warning Method for Regional Water Resources Carrying Capacity Based on the Logical Curve and Aggregate Warning Index.

The sustainable utilization of water resources is a significant factor in the development of the national economy and society. Regional water resources carrying capacity (RWRCC) is an appropriate method for evaluating the balance in such utilization. In this paper, we combined time difference correlation analysis and set pair analysis firstly to identify the early warning sign index (EWSI) for RWRCC, and warning limits were determined using a logical curve. Analytic hierarchy process based on the accelerating genetic algorithm (AGA-AHP) method was used to improve the KLR model by determining weights objectively. We took advantage of the new improved model to build the aggregate warning index (AWI). Then, according to the corresponding relationship between EWSI and AWI, the early warning system for regional water resources carrying capacity (EWS-RWRCC) was established, and a case study was carried out in Anhui Province. The results showed there are eight effective EWSI obtained through the early warning analysis process of RWRCC in Anhui Province, among which the repetitive use rate of industrial water and average daily coefficient have a greater impact on AWI. Basically, the EWS-RWRCC can describe RWRCC changes in Anhui Province. From 2006 to 2014, more than half the signal lights in Anhui Province were yellow and orange, which indicated a poor state. It has been proved that the constraints of population, GDP growth and water supply capacity on the utilization of water resources in the future will be further tightened, which should be considered for future monitoring and early warning. The early warning method we used here can be widely applied into other fields; the results will enhance monitoring capacity and scientifically guide regional water resources management.

Evaluating the impacts of water resources technology progress on development and economic growth over the Northwest, China.

Water technologies have become new solutions to water scarcity and could play an increasingly crucial role in the future. However, theoretic and empirical studies on the economic effect of water technologies which incorporate water resources into a sustainable economic growth model remain scarce in northwest China. This article attempts to build a water technology endogenous model based on “learning by doing” theory to identify the mechanisms of water technologies affect economic growth due to changing water consumption. Considering the case of Northwest China in this empirical research, we apply the stochastic production frontier model by using panel data from 1996 to 2017. The results shows that progress in water technologies has indeed increased GDP growth and the current level of water technologies is not a key factor in eliminating the constraints of water resources. In addition, water scarcity still constrains economic growth in Northwest China and progress in water science and technology is the main power of all water technologies. Finally, the speed of water science and technology slows as the amount of water consumption increase and the impact of water technical efficiency on economic growth depends on water institutions of different areas. This study may enhance the policy relevance of water technological governance and economic growth transformation, which were beneficial for informing policies towards sustainable water resource utilization in northwest China.

Analysis of sustainable utilization of water resources based on the improved water resources ecological footprint model: A case study of Hubei Province, China

Sustainable utilization of water resources has become a crucial topic worldwide. Study of the water resources ecological footprint (WEF) has important theoretical and practical significance for the management and optimal allocation of water resources. The current WEF model does not consider the differences between regions because it uses uniform equalization and yield factors. In this study, an improved WEF model is proposed by taking into account the regional characteristics of those two factors and provides results reflecting the consumption and supply of water resources more accurately. Taking Hubei Province, China, as an example, this study calculated the WEF per capita, the water resources ecological carrying capacity (WEC) per capita and the water resources ecological pressure index (WEPI) of each city in 2005, 2010 and 2015, and analysed the spatiotemporal patterns of water utilization. The results from the improved model show that the productive capacity of water resources in Hubei Province is gradually increasing and its pattern changed from a circular pattern with a higher edge and a lower centre to a ladder pattern that is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. In addition, the WEF and the WEC per capita show overall upward trends. Due to the differences at different urbanization levels and in the proportions of primary and secondary industries, the water resources pressure is greater in the east Hubei than that in the west. The western canyon region exhibits relatively higher sustainability of the utilization of water resources than the Jianghan Plain.

Evaluation of Water Quality and Heavy Metals in Wetlands along the Yellow River in Henan Province

Assessing spatiotemporal variation in water quality and heavy metals concentrations in wetlands and identifying metal contamination source are crucial steps for the protection and sustainable utilization of water resources. Using the water quality identification index (Iwq), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA), we evaluated spatiotemporal variation in water quality and heavy metals concentrations, and their interrelation in wetlands along the middle and lower Yellow River. The average Iwq was highest during flood season but the average HPI was lowest in the same season. Meanwhile, the trend in mean HPI across three hydrological seasons was the opposite to that of mean Iwq. There was significant variation in wetlands water pollution status across seasons. During the flood season, the wetlands in the affected area with hanging river were seriously polluted. In other seasons, pollution in the artificial wetlands was even more severe. Moreover, serious pollution of wetlands in belt transect #03 (Yuanyang-Zhongmu) was more frequent. Dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand strongly influenced heavy metal concentrations, while other water quality parameters had different influences on heavy metal concentrations in different hydrological seasons. The causes of water pollution were divided into natural factors and human disturbance (with potential relationships between them). The polluted wetlands were greatly affected by the Yellow River during the flood season while they were more impacted by agricultural and domestic sewage discharge in other seasons. However, heavy metal deposition and leaching into riparian wetlands were still affected by diverse channel conditions. If this trend is allowed to continue unabated, wetlands along the middle and lower Yellow River are likely to lose their vital ecological and social functions.

Study on the Coupling Coordination Relationship between Water-Use Efficiency and Economic Development

In order to achieve the sustainable utilization of water resources and the sustainable development of the economy, an evaluation index system for water-use efficiency and economic development systems was constructed. The entropy weight and the comprehensive evaluation methods were adopted to determine the index weights and conduct a comprehensive evaluation for the two systems. A coupling coordination model was used to calculate the coupling degree, coordination degree, and coupling coordination degree of the two systems. The annual coupling stage and coupling coordination intensity of the two systems were analyzed and determined. The results showed that the comprehensive evaluation values of both the water-use efficiency system and the economic development system in Jinan increased greatly from 2008 to 2017, and showed a changing trend of ups and downs. The two systems were in the antagonistic stage, and were gradually approaching the running-in stage, indicating that they were in the state of common development. The coupling coordination degree of the two systems gradually increased in waves, progressing from moderately to highly coordinated coupling. In the future, if the water control path appropriate to Jinan can be explored actively, the water-saving kinetic energy of economic development can be increased constantly, and the linkage effect between economic development and water resource utilization can be given full play. The two systems will then be in sync, enjoying a benign interaction and a healthy harmonious development.

Attaining Sustainable Water Resource Utilization in Lake Basins Using Progressive Operational Scenario Analysis

There is a severe conflict between water resource exploitation and protection of the aquatic environment of lakes with rapid urbanization. Sustainable water resource utilization is urgent for sustainable development. The present study introduced a progressive operational scenario analysis (POSA) method for water resource regulation in lake basins. The application processes of POSA in Dianchi Lake, Erhai Lake and Fuxian Lake were described in detail. The effectiveness of the POSA method and scenario analysis method in achieving sustainable water resource utilization were compared and analysed, and the improvement in the efficiency of water resource utilization in lake basins due to the two methods was discussed. The results showed that implementation of POSA can effectively achieve sustainable water resource utilization in Dianchi Lake, Erhai Lake and Fuxian Lake and reduce the aquatic environmental pressure. Compared with business-as-usual, this method reduced the water use efficiency indicators of Dianchi Lake, Erhai Lake and Fuxian Lake by 2%–8%, 1%–25% and 8%–35%, respectively, and the water environmental pressure in Dianchi Lake, Erhai Lake and Fuxian Lake decreased by 28.51%, 29.70% and 69.39%, respectively. POSA has been proven to be an excellent tool for managing the aquatic environments and regulating water resources in lake basins.

Based on the Theory of Optimizing the Allocation of Research of Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources of the Upper Reaches of Minjiang River

Water resource is an important supporting material for life support system and economic development, and the sustainable development and utilization of water resource are the guarantee of social sustainable development. The upper Minjiang River is the most important source of water supply for the Chengdu Plain. With the water resources of the upper Minjiang River facing the problems of overall water volume reduction, flood and water pollution, etc., based on the optimal allocation theory, this paper constructs an optimal allocation model of water resources in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, analyzes its characteristics and proposes some relevant countermeasures and suggestions to solve the existing problems, aiming to provide references for the sustainable utilization of water resources in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River.

Teaching Management And Sustainable Utilization Of Water Resources At Infant Level In Primary Schools In Zimbabwe: Challenges And Opportunities

Water has become an inadequate resource as a result of population and economic growth, climate change, pollution and other challenges. This is impacting on social, economic and environmental wellbeing. Education about water issues at all levels is pertinent to equip people with knowledge, skills and values of its management and sustainable utilization. Young children have a tendency of wasting water because of lack of knowledge of its management and sustainable utilization. The study aimed at establishing how knowledge, skills and attitudes of the management and sustainable utilization of water resources were being transmitted to school pupils in the infant grades in primary school. Furthermore the study wanted to find out the extent to which the curriculum content addressed the management and sustainable utilization of water resources. The study was conducted in the infants section of primary schools in the City of Gweru. It was qualitative in nature and it employed document analysis, in-depth interviews and questerviews to gather data. The sample of seven teachers in the infant section was purposively selected as these were the people with the requisite information. The study established that the infant syllabi has inadequate content for the management and sustainable utilization of water resources. The education system in Zimbabwe has not put in place mechanisms and strategies to pass on information to the young learners. Teachers have not been capacitated to deal with this aspect of the curriculum. The methods used in schools to inculcate the content are suitable for the age levels. The study concluded that the content and teaching of management and sustainable utilization were not adequate. The materials to complement the teaching were relevant. The study recommends the assessment methods need to be practical so as to establish the attitudes and skills acquired and that adequate content has to be injected into the curriculum.

Regional Water Resources Status and Sustainable Utilization Research – A Case Study of Qingyang Longdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base

Water resources are the key factors that restrict the development of Qingyang Longdong energy and chemical industry base. Taking Qingyang Longdong energy and chemical industry base as an example, this paper takes the status quo of water resources as the research object, and points out the problems existing in the current situation of water resources development based on the current status of water quality research and utilization, and then puts forward corresponding measures to promote the sustainable use of water resources. The research results can provide reference for the vigorous construction of Qingyang energy and chemical industry base and the sustainable use and development of local water resources.

The study on supply and demand of water resources in Alar city based on the system dynamics model

According to the status of water resources shortage in Alar, this paper establishes a system dynamics (SD) model for the water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) and analyzes the balance between water resources supply and demand. Three cases are designed to simulate the level of WRCC from 2010 to 2030. The total water demand and secondary product output value are chosen as the evaluation indices to study the WRCC in Alar. The results show that the carrying capacity of water resources in Alar cannot meet the demand of social economic development in recent years, and case 3 could effectively alleviate water scarcity. Based on the results, in order to guarantee sustainable utilization of water resources and social economy development, it is necessary to increase water saving policies and increase the introduction amount of surface water in the future.